


Humans at Dusk (Dnf Dragon Au)

by Valyria_55



Series: Dragons at Dawn (Corpsekkuno & Dnf) [2]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Bet you didn't see that one coming, But with dragons, Dragons at Dawn, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff and Angst, Inspired by Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-19 05:13:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29994396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valyria_55/pseuds/Valyria_55
Summary: “I’m just here to kill dragons. Nothing more.”“Well yeah, Mr. Edgelord. We all are.” He glanced at George, who looked down. “Well, most of us anyway."Set within the world of Dragons at Dawn, the two navigate the world within the fortress, trying to avenge their past and prevent it from repeating. Lives weren't quite at stake, and the people were complacent and languid, enjoying life like normal people. However, not all is bright, and secrets lie within the darkest corners, struggling to break free of its captor's grasp.
Relationships: Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Wilbur Soot & Technoblade, Zak Ahmed/Darryl Noveschosch
Series: Dragons at Dawn (Corpsekkuno & Dnf) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2205051
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	1. Humans at Dusk: In the Walls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m just here to kill dragons. Nothing more.”
> 
> “Well yeah, Mr. Edgelord. We all are.” He glanced at George, who looked down. “Well, most of us anyway."
> 
> Sapnap and George had signed up for the canon aimer squad, hoping to avenge their past and prevent future tragedies from happening. It was simple: they were going to defend people from dragons, even though they couldn't go to the frontlines. Everything was going to be fine.
> 
> Unfortunately, it isn't. 
> 
> Set within the world of Dragons at Dawn, the two navigate the world within the fortress, where lives weren't quite at stake, and the people were complacent and languid, enjoying life like normal people. However, not all is bright, and secrets lie within the darkest corners, struggling to break free of its captor's grasp.

The first day of military training was… with lack of better words, boring.

At least, that was what Sapnap thought as he and George stretched for the physical test. Around them were young people like them, and everyone was minding their own business, congregating into little friend groups. Well, he supposed that was to be expected. They signed up for canon aimers after all. It wasn't like they signed up to be airborne soldiers, who were a lot more enthusiastic and hardcore about this whole ordeal. The requirements were a lot less after all. He looked over at George, who was polishing his goggles.

“Bet I could beat you in a race.” He jabbed. George rolled his eyes and stuck out his tongue. “Oh really? We’ll see, Sapnap. Just because you’re like, a few centimeters taller, doesn’t make you faster.” He retorted as he stood up from the ground. “Plus, who cares if you win? It’s about passing, and just about everyone probably can do that.”

“Still gonna race you, loser.”

“Ha, just you wait, idiot.” Sapnap chuckled at his friend as they went toward the starting line. He reached up and tightened his white hairband. Beside them, a guy with short brown hair and a mischievous smile stood, jumping slightly to warm up. George pulled down his goggles and got ready. Sapnap followed him, and everybody in their group crouched.

“Ready? Go!” With a bang, they all sprinted forward. Sapnap ran as fast as he could, with George close behind his heels. His hair flew into his eyes a few times, but he still crossed the line faster than his friend did. He gave a victorious whoop.

“Ha, eat that, dipshit!” He shouted as he panted. George glared at him with mock rage and bent over, trying to catch his breath. In terms of performance, they did quite well. Not the fastest, but definitely faster than three quarters of the others. The guy who stood next to George grinned at them. He had a color-blocked shirt, with a faint spiral pattern on it.

“Hey, you guys were fast!” He congratulated as he walked over. “I think I saw you during sign-ups, but I didn’t really greet you guys. I’m Karl!” George stood up and smiled back. “I’m George, and this is my friend Sapnap.” He introduced as he shook hands with Karl. Sapnap gave the man a grin and shook his hand as well. Karl had an infectious smile, and they were happy to find out that they were pretty compatible in terms of conversation. Sapnap found out that unlike them, Karl was born within the fortress, and had lived his life rather undisturbed by the dragons. He even promised to take them to some of his childhood favorite places, which both Sapnap and George were very excited about. Pretty soon, even when the next test started, they were chatting away like old friends.

“Oh, so you know a few of these guys?” Sapnap asked as Karl pointed out a guy who had a blue cap on and was happily flirting with some of the girls. From where Sapnap stood, he could tell the guy was handsome, with a grin he could only consider as shit-eating. “Yeah, that dude over there? He’s Quackity. We’re good friends since we were probably five. He’s quite the life of the party, and really, he’s probably going to be the most annoying and obnoxious person you’ll ever meet.” Karl explained. “And that guy over there?” He pointed at another guy who had orange hair and a lilting smile. “That’s Fundy. He’s Wilbur’s brother.” Sapnap raised an eyebrow as the man smirked almost seductively at everyone he met. “Yeah, he’s also kinda a flirt.”

“Kinda, you say?” George asked as they started their stretching test. All three of them were pretty bad, and the test ended with them screeching like monkeys as they pushed each other down to their maximum stretching capacity, which was embarrassingly small. Sapnap swore he heard his spine crack when George pressed down a little too hard, and George _screamed_ when Karl pushed his back down. The rest of the tests went through smoother, with all the usual tests like endurance, jumping ability, combat (he completely crushed those). Karl was surprisingly agile at the obstacle course, as well as George. Sapnap scowled at his friend, who gave him a victorious smirk when he lost the race and nearly tripped over a bar. The instructor eliminated the people who didn’t pass, and then he turned to the rest of the recruits.

“Alright.” The man looked down at everyone from the podium. “I will be your instructor until you become full-fledged canon aimers. Just call me Mr. Beast.” Someone chuckled, and Mr. Beast immediately glared at them. “Who was that?” The group was dead silent. Mr. Beast’s eyes narrowed as his eyes traveled over every recruit. “I’ll let the first time slide, but if I hear a second jibe at my authority, you will regret it.” He warned as his eyes calmed down. “Now, onto the main topic. Everyone has passed the test, and I will announce the ranking for the first ten. You will be given further choices.” Mr. Beast immediately started calling out names, and Sapnap relaxed. No way any of them made it. He saw so many people who did so much better than he did. “Fifth: Alyssa!” A girl with curly blond hair and sharp eyes stepped forward and joined the line on the podium. “Fourth: Wilbur!” A guy with slightly curly brown hair covered by a gray beanie cap stood up. “Third: Cara!” A brunette with glasses smiled as she stood next to Wilbur.

“This is taking forever.” Karl complained quietly beside them. George nodded in agreement. “Especially when it has nothing to do with us.” He grumbled. “We have a tie for the first place.” Mr. Beast said. Everyone looked up, and immediately murmurs permeated the place. “In first place, both with remarkable abilities and unparalleled capacity. Techno,” A man stepped forward, and the place erupted with even louder murmurs. He was quite tall, but the thing that caught everyone’s attention was his hair. It was pink, and it hung in a braid over his shoulder. Sapnap heard Karl gasp beside him. “Oh wow! Damn, look at that!” He whisper-yelled. The man took no notice as he continued up the podium. Mr. Beast continued. “And Dream.” A blond man passed through the crowd and stepped up the podium. The familiar sight of dirty blond hair falling over dark green eyes and that pale face made Sapnap suck in a breath. He felt George grab his arm.

“That’s the guy who asked us!” He whispered. Sapnap nodded in reply. “I know! Holy shit, didn’t know he was this good!” The blond turned around, and as he stood beside Techno, they exchanged a chaste glance. Dream’s green eyes narrowed as Techno raised a brow. “All of you will consult with me. The rest of you, choose partners. We will start canon practice after this.” They were left to their own devices, and Sapnap exchanged a glance with George. That was the great thing about having friends: finding partners wasn’t a pain in the ass. The guy who Karl pointed out earlier, Quackity, came over and slung an arm over Karl’s shoulders.

“Yo, Karl! Partners, yeah?” He asked. Karl rolled his eyes and elbowed his side lightly. “What about the girls?” He asked, exasperatedly fond. “Girls are girls, and I want you as a partner. There’s nothing wrong about that.” Quackity replied as he pointed at them. “And who are these guys? Who were you talking to behind my back?”

“Behind your back my ass.” Karl retorted as he introduced them. “This is Sapnap and George. Guys, this is Quackity, party animal and womanizer.” Quackity gave an offended squawk as he shoved the man hard. Karl gave him a slap on the arm, which just induced more squawking.

“I’m not a womanizer, you fucker!” He yelled. “Also, yo what’s going on, Sapnap and George? I have no idea which is which to be honest.” Sapnap laughed out loud. This Quackity guy was a blast. He glanced at George, and sure enough he wasn’t too amused.

“Well, Mr. Womanizer. I’m George, and he’s Sapnap.” His friend explained pointedly. Quackity raised his hands in surrender.

“Whoa, whoa, okay, okay. Didn’t mean to offend you with my horrible identifying skills, sheesh.” He exclaimed as Karl cackled. Sapnap extended a hand at the man.

“I’m Sapnap, and don’t worry, I’m not as uptight as George. I think you’re great, dude.” Quackity gave him wide grin and shook his hand rather enthusiastically.

“Thank you! Finally, someone appreciates me! You two weirdos just don’t have taste. Especially you, Karl. Unacceptable. All those years, wasted!” He complained. That just gave rise to another round of bickering. Just as they were about to start throwing mock punches at each other, the top ten recruits rejoined the group. Sapnap waved at Dream, who gave him a blank stare.

“Hey, Dream right? Remember us?” He called. Dream didn’t look too thrilled, but he still came over. Karl and Quackity both looked up at him warily. Sapnap couldn’t blame them, because there really was something quite unsettling about Dream’s cold green eyes. They were emotionless and truly uncaring, and it was just that much more hostile and condescending with his towering height. George gave him a tentative smile, which he didn’t reciprocate. George’s smile immediately turned into an offended frown. “Yes.” He said simply. Sapnap plastered on a fake smile. God this guy wasn’t that great to talk to. “Well, I’m Sapnap, and he’s George, so if you want to, you know, try to get to know us a bit more, maybe talk a little?” H emphasized his words, and Dream raised an eyebrow.

“I’m just here to kill dragons. Nothing more.” He replied. His eyes remained emotionless, his stance tall and intimidating. Sapnap rolled his eyes. “Well yeah, Mr. Edgelord. We all are.” He glanced at George, who looked down. “Well, most of us anyway. You know what? I don’t even know. Since you’re here, welcome to the friend group, I guess. You can leave if you want, because honestly I’m not even sure if you want to join us.” Dream’s lips rose in a smirk.

“You seem daring. I like that.” He said, his voice smooth as velvet as he crossed his arms over his chest. Sapnap smirked back. “Sapnap, huh?”

“Yes, Edgelord. Now act like a friend.” Sapnap said, trying to push his buttons. However, Dream seemed to not mind. In fact, he smirked even more. It looked a little terrifying if Sapnap was being completely honest. “Alright. Don’t expect me to stick around and we’ll get along great.” He replied. Quackity then pointed a finger at him.

“Wait, who’s your partner?” He asked. Dream shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t know, and I don’t care.” He replied as he turned. “As long as they don’t bring me down, I’m fine with it.” With that, he stalked off, leaving the four of them with a roughly equal amount of disgust and awe.

“Wow, that guy… Sapnap, how are you even maintaining conversation?” George asked, disgust all over his face. “He’s such a douchebag!”

“Yeah, even I’m impressed. Dude, I don’t even like that guy, and Karl can tell you it’s basically impossible.” Quackity agreed, hanging off Karl’s shoulder. Sapnap shrugged.

“He seems cool. If you ignore the terrible personality bit, that is.” “Sometimes I don’t understand you, Sapnap, and I’ve known you since we’re kids.”

“Well, suck it up, buttercup. I can’t have you knowing all my secrets, George.”

“You really want to play this card? You sure you want everyone to know every single stupid thing you’ve done?” “On second thought, let’s just move on.” Just a few steps away from him, he saw the Techno guy talk to Wilbur, who was weirdly playing with his hair. Sapnap scrunched up his face. What? He watched, stunned and confused, as this Wilbur guy took apart the messy braid and started rebraiding those silky pink tresses. A boy with short blond hair and freckles was yelling something incoherent beside the two, with another boy with short brown hair trying to get him to be quiet. They both looked quite young. 

"Anyway, should we go talk to other people?” Karl asked as he shoved Quackity aside, who protested and fought valiantly to put his arm over his shoulder again. George shrugged. “Sure.” Together, with their two new friends, they met a few more people. There was Antfrost, who wore glasses and looked way too tame to be a soldier, and Eret, who had a sweet smile and a gentle nature. Both of them were wearing button up shirts under their uniforms, which Sapnap found extremely odd. Antfrost had on a plain white shirt that looked like it belonged on a teacher, and Eret had a similiar one with a detailed collar, lined with lace.They were both easy to talk to, with Antfrost being a very intelligent scholarly type and Eret being very chill and funny. By the end of it, Sapnap was having a lot of fun, and that was before he even touched the canons.

Now that was fun as hell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, alright. We're really doing this. Second part of the series, featuring the Dream SMP. It's going to be a wild ride, hopefully, if I can pull this off. This is a series, so a lot of the context will be dealt with in the first work. Even so, those of you who found me through the tags, don't worry. All you really need to know is in the latest chapter in Dragons of Dawn, and right after you read that, you can transition to this one no problem. Those of you who came from Dragons at Dawn, I'm really thankful that you like my story and my world so much that you decided to check this one out. Please do take note that even though it is possible to read it separately, the two will converge at one point, and it might throw you for a loop if you've read only this one. It is a work best enjoyed with all the context. 
> 
> I'm really sorry I made this story like this, but well, my mind has been made for too long. The frame is set.
> 
> Oh yes. There's one more thing: the lore of the Dream SMP doesn't really apply here. The family tree doesn't exist in this story, even though it might be referenced and used as inspiration.


	2. Chapter 2

George really didn’t get it. He thought he understood Sapnap. They’d been friends since forever, and George could read him quite well. With that being said…

_How the fuck is he getting along with the most arrogant, rude asshole he had ever met?_

He glared at Dream, who had that infuriating smirk on his face as he and Sapnap trash-talked like two bros while they prepared the canons. Ironically enough, Sapnap was his partner. Plus, this was like… the third day they had training. He could already see girls glancing at them, specifically on the blond man. Okay, okay he admitted that the man was attractive. He was wearing a rather tight-fitting hoodie, and it faintly showed the bulge of muscle on his arms and the triangular shape of his upperbody. His blond hair was swept to the side, slightly long and covering his forehead. Even so, his personality just made him that much unattractive to him. George knew these people. Handsome hunks who used their supposed looks as an excuse to be as asshole-like as they could and not be hated.

“Sapnap, why is your friend such a prude?” The said man asked, his voice velvety and irritating as his eyes flicked down to his. Oh yes, this jock was also annoyingly tall. As if his existence wasn’t already annoying enough. Sapnap chuckled, that prick.

“He’s not a prude, Dream.” He said through his laughter. “He’s my best friend.”

“Well, maybe you should start reconsidering your taste in people.” George gritted his teeth and went right up to the man. Dream smirked once again, glancing down at him condescendingly.

“What do you even take me for?!” George yelled. “Just a random person you can just insult?” He jabbed his finger at his chest, huffing in annoyance at the hard muscle underneath the fabric.

“Oh?” How was the man making the most simple, single-syllable word aggravating? “You’re not?” George growled, but he didn’t know what he could actually do. No way was he going to fight Dream. As angry as he was, he knew he couldn’t beat him. In fact, he would beat the shit out of him.

“Sapnap, how are you being so chill about this insufferable fucker?!” He demanded. His friend was trying really hard to not laugh, but George could see he was bursting at the seams.

“I mean, we can somehow maintain conversation. Don’t ask me how.” He said nonchalantly as he slung an arm over Dream’s shoulder. The man gave George a smirk that topped all the previous ones, and he wanted nothing more than to smack him across the face. Instead, he jabbed Sapnap in the ribs. Hard. “Ow, FUCK!”

“Well, you’re my partner so stop chattering and get over here. I need you to stuff the canon into the barrel, and that Callahan guy Dream has as his partner really shouldn’t suffer more than he already did, even though getting Dream away from him might be better.” Sapnap rolled his eyes and let go of his new bro. Dream gave him a mocking wave, which just made George angrier.

“Look, dude, he’s just joking.” His friend assured him, but George shoved him off.

“Oh, that’s joking? Forgive me, but I’m not fucking laughing.” He retorted. He glanced at Karl and Quackity, who were working flawlessly with each other. Why couldn’t they be like that? What were they lacking? They were both a pair of childhood friends… oh wait. They didn’t have an annoying hunk as a friend. That’s why. Dream rejoined Callahan, who had a mixture of nervousness and annoyance on his face as the man smashed the canon ball rather aggressively into the barrel. One could only imagine how painful his hits were. It looked effortless too. Training continued a lot smoother after that, and they waited for their turn. George was usually in charge of the aiming, because they found that he was way better at aiming than Sapnap did. His friend really was only good at combat. Maybe he was the only one who could take Dream on and actually _not die._

“Ready… Aim!” George adjusted the barrel, signaling to Sapnap when he got it at the optimal direction. His friend nodded, and he struck a match. “Fire!” Sapnap lit the fuse, and they both held the canon as it fired, stabilizing it the best as they could.

“YES!” He yelled when the smoke cleared. George gave him a high-five, and they exchanged victorious smiles. They hit target dead center.

“Tubbo!” Someone screamed behind them. George spun around, Sapnap following close behind. They both stared as a blond boy grabbed a boy with dark brown hair, his face twisted with worry as his friend knelt down, his arm burned. It must have been too close to the mouth of the barrel.

“Oh no.” Sapnap murmured beside him as he rushed forward. George followed and knelt beside the boy, offering him a hopefully reassuring smile. Water was passed up, and the wound was attended to. Right when they were in the middle of bandaging it, George heard someone come up to them. He looked up, but the second he heard what he said, his mouth fell open in shock.

“If you’re that weak, why did you bother joining? You think dragons will just wait as you fumble and kill yourself?” Dream’s velvety voice asked. George froze, completely flabbergasted. His eyes traveled to Sapnap, who had this look of mortification on his face. The blond boy let out a scream of rage.

“What did you just say?!” He shot up, his fist raised and ready to beat Dream’s face, but before he could even do anything, the man grabbed his arm, and with one powerful twist, slammed him into the ground. The poor boy’s face crashed onto the ground, and when his head came back up, blood was running down his nose.

“Tommy!” The Tubbo boy cried out as he stood up, wincing when it pulled at his burn. Dream looked up, and the boy shrank back. He was pulled back by a different man. A single braid cascaded down his shoulder, and his eyes were enraged as he stepped up to Dream.

“Let him go.” Techno said coldly as he raised his own fists. Dream leaned his head to the side, a dangerous glint coming to life in his eyes. With a quick flick of his wrist, he threw Tommy’s arm to the side, and the man himself stepped closer.

“Pinkie.” He mocked as he smiled tauntingly. Techno narrowed his eyes. “A friend of yours?”

“He’s my brother. And the one who got burned is his best friend.” With a crack of his knuckles, Techno crouched into a combat stance. “Which means, you just hurt two of the most important people to me.”

“And what about it?” That was when everything exploded. Techno made the first move, his fist shooting out at a godly speed. George let out a concerned gasp, but Dream ignored him as he ducked, throwing his own punch. Techno moved his head slightly as the knuckles brushed past his cheek, packed with deadly strength. He threw out an elbow strike, and Dream retaliated with a forearm block, knocking Techno aside. The man reared back, just in time to avoid Dream’s hard jab. He crouched and swept out his leg in an attempt to knock Dream off his feet, but the masked man leaped back. Techno rushed in and raised his leg in a high arc. He slammed it down right at Dream’s head without mercy.

“Techno!” A guy with a gray beanie and curly hair cried. “Techno, wait- where is the instructor?!” Neither took heed as Dream rolled forward, lashing out with a flying kick. Techno’s eyes widened, and he jumped back. His arms came up to block his strike, and the force knocked him backwards. He landed a few meters away, his eyes never leaving Dream’s as the man stood up.

“He left to get something!” Someone yelled.

The two combatants stopped for a few moments, chest rising and falling slightly as they caught their breaths. They circled each other like a pair of male lions, aggressive and thirsty for blood. Something glinted in Techno’s eyes, and he surged forward, low and fast. Dream righted himself, planting his left foot forward, his fist ready.

“Oh god, stop fighting, Techno!” Tubbo screamed. The rest of the recruits were watching them, silent and probably scared.

“Dream!” Sapnap yelped, but the man didn’t even react, the smirk on his face now gone and replaced with a dark scowl. The feral look in Techno’s eyes increased in intensity as he pivoted on one foot, ready to kick Dream down in one swoop. Dream pulled his fist back, aiming directly at Techno’s face. Everyone waited with bated breath as they prepared for the incoming strike. No one would come out unscathed. Everything was too fast and too strong.

“What… is happening here?” A stern voice asked. George whipped around, and came face to face with Mr. Beast. He turned back and saw both Dream and Techno freeze mid-fight. Techno’s leg was centimeters away from Dream’s torso, and Dream’s fist was almost touching Techno’s nose. “Fighting?” Dream looked utterly unapologetic, but Techno hung his head. His braid was falling apart, strands loosening at the end.

“It is rather unseeming for us to be fighting. I’m deeply sorry, Mr. Beast.” He said, his tone calm and collected, a far cry from his previous aggression. Dream remained quiet for once, with his hands stuffed into his pockets. Mr. Beast sighed and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Very well then. You will be dismissed with a warning.” With that training resumed, but the atmosphere was noticeably tense. Everyone seemed to be on their tip toes, and the aiming was getting worse.

“Aw, c’mon.” A man with a black, red-lined hood over his head said as he turned to the crowd. “Let’s not be affected by what just happened. Just because-” A hand came up to cover his mouth. “Mmph!”

“Guys, don’t mind him. He’s just too optimistic and likes to cheer everyone up a little too much.” A man who looked slightly younger with up-flicked hair smiled cheekily at everyone as he covered the other man’s mouth. “Just… ignore us.” George glanced at the two men. The guy with the hood struggled, but the other man held him in place as everyone stared at them in mild bewilderment. They seemed rather close for friends of three days. Dream stood beside them, silent and towering over them all. Karl and Quackity were both staring at him while grabbing onto one another, anxious and terrified of Dream’s next move. Sapnap himself didn’t look that thrilled to stand beside Dream anymore. The black-hood guy came over to them, with his friend in tow.

“You muffinhead!” He yelled at his friend. He then glared at Dream. “And you too!” His friend yelped and yanked his arm in panic.

“No, don’t! Are you stupid?! He just fought the strongest guy!” He screeched. George cleared his throat. The man smiled at him nervously. “Hey, uh… I’m Skeppy, and this is Darryl. Uh... we'll just leave in a sec.” Darryl glared at Skeppy and shoved him aside.

“No, Skeppy! He’s a muffinhead for fighting!” He insisted. Dream smirked.

“What’s so bad about that?” He asked tauntingly. He flexed his fingers before clenching it into a fist. “I found someone worthy of attention.” Sapnap whipped around, his jaw dropping.

“You wanna fuck that guy or some shit?” He asked incredulously, outrage right across his face. "Eww, dude, too much information!"

“Language!” Darryl shrieked. George frowned.

“What?”

“Don’t curse!”

“Why?” Before they could argue any further, Dream replied.

“Who the fuck wants to fuck him?” He asked nonchalantly, ignoring the second shriek of _Language_. He smiled languidly as he glanced at the braided man a few steps away, who was talking to Wilbur, his fingers playing with the now barely hanging braid. The two boys, Tommy and Tubbo, were being tended to by said man as he talked to the man frantically, probably scolding him. George glanced at Sapnap, who gave him the look that screamed _what in the actual fuck._ Dream purred.

“He’s the perfect rival.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, second chapter in. More characters are out, and yes, Dream is an arse at the moment. I feel like I have problems crafting characters like these, because goddamn do I not like them. Anyways, comment what you think. Those of you who came from my first work in the series, welcome! Thank you for liking my writing that much! Those who just found this with tags, welcome as well! I hope you enjoy the world I created! Tell me what you think, maybe your favorite moments, theories for further events, or just a hi. I love reading comments!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder if y'all like what I'm doing. How many of you read this as an individual fic and how many of you read both?

The room was quiet as a man sat down on his bed. A mirror hung on the bed post, and he glanced at it, inspecting his own reflection. With a tug, he pulled away the leather cord holding the braid together. Pink locks tumbled loose from its restraints, unable to stay in the barely hanging plait. He ran his fingers through the long tresses, combing out all the knots and pushing the bangs out of his face. He picked up a comb from a bag he had that kept his toiletries and held it up to his hair. The teeth barely grazed the locks before the man stared at himself in the mirror. His movements stopped for a second, and then he set down the comb. He looked over at the door.

Almost immediately, as he predicted, a man popped out from behind it, a smile on his face.

“Techno! Wanna go out? Oh, your hair… you need help with it?” Wilbur asked as he came over to him. He gently picked up the comb from Techno’s hand and sat himself down behind him. Gently, he ran it through the now wavy pink hair, brushing out all the knots. Techno relaxed, watching his friend through the mirror. Wilbur always was careful with his hair, always trying his best to avoid hurting his scalp and apologizing almost comically whenever he pulled too hard. He still remembered the first few times when he braided his hair, when they were probably thirteen, and even though there were so many blunders and he felt like his scalp was tingling by the end he finished, it was still memorable. He felt a tug and hummed quietly.

“Too hard? I’m sorry-”

“It’s fine.” He interrupted his friend’s ramble. Wilbur smiled and continued, pulling and separating his hair into three parts and braiding them together. Techno leaned back, enjoying the sense of familiarity. To everyone else, he knew this was odd beyond belief, but to him, it was familiar and welcoming. It had been so long since they started, and he really couldn’t imagine a day without this ritual. It was one of the few things that gave him some respite from his expectation-filled life as a general’s son.

“So… why did you fight Dream?” Wilbur asked. Techno raised an eyebrow. “I mean… beside the fact that he beat the shit out of Tommy and insulted Tubbo. I know you don’t just fight for that.”

“That’s the major part of it.” He replied as he twirled a loose piece of hair around his finger. Wilbur always left a few of those out of the braid itself. “Maybe some part of me wanted to test my strength against him.” Techno smirked, remembering the way Dream’s eyes turned feral, the moment the smirk slid off his face and he went into the fighting headspace, fighting back with real strength and aggression. He had always been on the top of the ladder when it came to physical capabilities growing up, always told he was the strongest and had to better himself all the time even though he had never fought against actual opponents. Now, he finally had a worthy opponent. “He’s a good rival. I like him.” Wilbur’s fingers stopped moving behind him, and Techno craned his neck, trying to turn around to see what happened. He was gently nudged back.

“No, no, not now. You’ll ruin the braid.” Wilbur said gently beside his ear. Techno did as he was told, and they remained quiet for a while, with nothing but the movement of Wilbur’s fingers going down the braid giving a him a sense of passing time. Techno frowned worriedly. Wilbur usually wasn’t this quiet.

“Wilbur?” He asked as he looked at him through the mirror. His friend’s head was lowered, and his curly hair fell across his face, covering his eyes. Slowly, he looked up and caught Techno’s eye. “What’s gotten into you?”

“No, nothing, just a little tired.” He explained as he grabbed a piece of leather cord. He wound it around the tail of the braid and secured it tightly. “Look, I’m done. What do you think?” Techno glanced at himself in the mirror, his eyes traveling to the braid Wilbur had flipped gently over his shoulder. It was neatly done, pulled apart slightly to be more casual and less uptight. He smiled at his friend.

“It’s perfect, as always. Are we going now?”

“Yeah… just let me grab my coat.” Wilbur stood up quickly and ran to the door. “I’ll be back in a bit.” Techno watched him leave. His hand came up to the braid, and he fingered it slightly. He grabbed his dark red cloak from the side of his bed and pulled it over his shoulders. It had fur on its cuff, and he nuzzled his face into it. His braid contrasted greatly with the light beige fluff, like flowers on snow.

“Hey, Techno, you ready?” Wilbur asked from the door. Techno looked up, and there his friend stood, in a simple black turtle neck and a long coat. He nodded. “I think Tommy and Tubbo are also ready. Let’s go.”

“Where are we going?” Techno asked as Wilbur led him down the hall with an arm slung over his shoulder. “Is Fundy coming?” His friend turned and smiled at him, even though the smile looked slightly forced.

“You know how it is, Techno.” Techno looked away.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be. We’re going to on a walk in the streets for snacks, maybe head to a bar after we find a place for the boys to entertain themselves.”

“Alright.” Techno let himself be weighed down by his friend’s arm as they picked up Tubbo and Tommy, who grinned at them with mischief in their eyes. Techno glanced at Fundy, who wore the usual sneer whenever his brother was around. The man gave him a once over, and his eyes narrowed.

“He’s still doing that?” His nose wrinkled. “God.”

“Fundy, please.” Wilbur said softly. The orange-haired man glared at his brother for a few moments before leaving the room. Tommy and Tubbo looked extremely confused, and Techno gave them a smile that said _I don’t really know what’s happening either._ He might have been friends with Wilbur for years, but he never quite understood his younger brother Fundy. He seemed to hate his brother with a passion, and Wilbur never quite wanted to talk about it. Sighing, he followed Wilbur out the door with Tommy and Tubbo. Right now, they had other matters, namely good place for food. Wilbur’s family matters could wait. It had been unresolved for years anyway.

* * *

“No way.”

“What do you mean no way? I’m telling the truth!”

“How am I supposed to just believe that???” Sapnap shrieked in laughter as Karl gave him a disgruntled look. “You can’t be serious! You joined the military just to find a friend?”

“Look! He’s my childhood friend, okay?! He’s always wanted to fly, and what other place provides an opportunity like that?” He demanded, glaring at Quackity, who was already laughing his head off. “Listen you idiot, you’re not my only friend!”

“Well, have you found the guy yet?” Sapnap asked, trying to shout over everyone’s laughing. Dream was wheezing, and it sounded like a freaking tea kettle. George was glowering at him, his default expression these days whenever he looked at the blonde. Skeppy and Darryl were there too, and they were both chuckling, Darryl a lot tamer and Skeppy louder and more obnoxious. Karl sighed and shook his head.

“Nah. He joined way earlier than I did. Plus, he trained to be airborne. We’re not even in the same corp.”

“Then why did you choose to be a canon aimer?”

“Dude, I might want to find my friend, but I have no wish to risk my life everyday outside of the walls. I’m not such a daredevil, thank you very much.” Karl sipped on his drink and waved dismissively. “Oh, and he has a way better personality than Quackity, I can assure you that.”

“Dude, what’s that supposed to mean?!” Quackity squawked, flicking him off with an unapologetic middle finger. Karl retaliated with his own finger. Sapnap rolled his eyes as he watched them start screaming at each other like a pair of preschoolers. Looks like he wasn’t going to get his answer. He caught George’s eye and turned to him.

“Must be nice to have a such a nice reason to join.” His friend whispered, smiling sadly. Sapnap reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“I hope you finally find peace within yourself, George.” He replied. “I’ll be with you along the way, George. I promise.” His friend grinned at him, and Sapnap smiled back. Dream, who had at that point finally stopped laughing, looked at them both.

“What do you mean by that?” He asked. There was no malice or mocking in his voice, just pure curiosity. George turned his head away.

“It’s nothing.” He said coldly. “You wouldn’t understand it if you tried.” Dream frowned, his green eyes squinting slightly. He leaned closer toward the shorter man and cocked his head to the side. He was sporting puppy dog eyes, probably unintentionally considering Dream's personality overall. Sapnap couldn't for the life of him imagine Dream doing puppy dog eyes intentionally. George didn't even blink.

“Well, how would you know if you don’t tell me? I might.” He urged. George growled at him, but he was relentless. “Tell me what you meant, prude.”

“If you fucking call me prude one more time- ”

“If I call you George, would you tell me?” George sputtered, and he crossed his arms over his chest, pouting. Dream smirked and continued his teasing, and Sapnap chose at that point to stop following their conversation. It was incessant bickering, just like Quackity and Karl. He turned to Skeppy and Darryl, who were having a rather tame and pleasant conversation. Perfect.

“What are you guys talking about?” He asked the duo. Skeppy grinned at him, showing his pearly white teeth.

“We’re just talking about our childhood actually. They’re so different.”

“Wait… you two aren’t childhood friends?” Sapnap’s jaws dropped. Darryl gave him a confused look.

“No, we met at physical tests.” Wow, their compatibility was flawless. Less than a week and they were already good friends. Sapnap glanced at Quackity and Karl. The disparity was almost comical. “He comes from the south side while I come from the north.”

“Well, George and I are not even from here. We were actually refugees.” 

“Oh no, I’m sorry to hear that.” Darryl said quickly, looking so sincere it made Sapnap chuckle. “Which village did you come from?”

“Oh, it’s quite alright. It’s been a long time already. We were both from Rotko village.” Skeppy’s eyes widened, and he leaned forward on his seat, pushing aside the glass of beer before him.

“Rotko? As in the village that was destroyed something like five years ago?” he asked. Sapnap nodded. Skeppy bit his lip. “Now I feel really sorry. I’ve heard it was the biggest dragon-related tragedy in this decade.”

“I don’t know if it was or not, but it did destroy both our houses. So many people died.” Sapnap looked down as he remembered the wreckage that was ingrained in his mind forever. “It’s the reason why George applied for canon aimer. He was more affected than I was, and unfortunately, he can’t look at a dragon in the face at close distance anymore. I didn’t want to leave him alone, so I came with him.”

“That sounds terrible. Really, I’m sorry about that.” Darryl repeated as he drank from his glass. Sapnap smiled at him.

“Thanks. I’m sure George would be very happy when I tell him you two said that. I’m glad we met.” Just then, a man entered the shop. He had distinctive orange hair, and a familiar seductive smirk. He spotted Dream, and he came over, dropping down onto the bench beside him, his spine arched sinuously.

“Hey hottie. You’re the one who fought with Techno today, aren’t you? I’m Fundy if you don’t know.” Dream turned to him, and his lips raised in a smirk. He ran his hand through his blond hair and stared down at him, the angle making him look even hotter than he already was.

“Yes. What about it?”

“Oh nothing. I was just so curious about what was underneath your shirt for you to punch so powerfully like that. Care to show me?” Sapnap grimaced at the blatant flirting. George’s face had disgust written over it, and Karl and Quackity were watching the scene like it was a drama as they sipped on their drinks. Dream smiled languidly and leaned closer to Fundy.

“Why should I show you that, fox boy?” He asked, his voice sinfully velvety and suggestive. Fundy didn’t miss a beat.

“Should I prove my worth to you first?” His finger went to the end of his shirt and twisted, showing the slightest of skin on his abdomen. “It’s an exclusive offer, you know?” He purred. “For your eyes only.” Dream’s eyes narrowed, and he leaned back.

“We’ll see about that.” He replied. Fundy let go of his shirt and cocked his head to the side, leaning on his arm.

“Alright. Offer still stands though. Whenever you want.” His eyes flicked to the side, focusing on something behind Dream. “I think someone is already urging me to leave. Already possessive, are we?” He stood up and gave the blond man a wink. “Tell me when you’re up to it.” He then left the shop. For a few moments, everyone just sat there, stunned and confused.

“That was… disgusting.” George broke the silence. Dream turned around, his eyes maintaining the seductive edge he used with Fundy.

“Are you jealous?” He teased. George’s face twisted in disgust.

“Me? You’re such a dick, why would I be?” He retorted. Dream rolled his eyes, his fingers closing around the glass and lifting it to his lips.

“Fox boy is hot. You just can’t get anyone to flirt with.” He said nonchalantly. George let out an outraged squawk.

“As if I would ever want that!”

“You know, you two kind of are arguing like a couple.” Quackity commented. George turned about so fast the man yelped and shrank back.

“What did you say?!” George shrieked. Karl tried to hide his laughter behind his hand, and Sapnap caught his eye. He himself was trying really hard not to burst out wheezing.

“Yeah, you kinda are.” Skeppy quipped. The atmosphere immediately relaxed, with everyone taking turns at teasing George, who looked so embarrassed and indignant it was absolutely hilarious. Conversation seemed to flow a lot more freely between the seven of them, and it felt nice. Sapnap loved it. Everyone was getting along, even Dream, who was still abrasive and rude but getting there. George would never forgive him, but he really did like Dream. He liked his no-nonsense attitude mixed with the carefree way of living and enjoyment of life. Okay, maybe the little flirting session with Fundy was in all honesty disgusting as fuck, he still appreciated the blond, against everyone’s better judgement. Even if it might bite him in the ass later.

Of course, he should’ve figured the ambience wouldn’t last long. It usually never did. Minutes later, another group came into the shop, and one look confirmed that the group contained that blond boy from earlier in the day. The very boy that Dream slammed into the goddman ground. Tommy.

“Wait, you’re the son of a bitch from earlier!” The Tommy boy screamed. Sapnap winced and glanced at the guys standing behind him. He recognized Techno, the guy who Dream fought with, and the guy with the beanie, Wilbur. There was another boy who looked the same age as Tommy. If he remembered correctly, this boy was Tubbo, with a bandaged arm. Dream laughed haughtily behind him.

“And you’re the weakling who can’t even defend his friend.”

“Well, you’re the fucker who can’t beat Techno- ”

“Tommy, please.” Wilbur said exasperatedly. Techno reached out and pulled Tommy back. “I’m very sorry. Um… Dream? Sorry for all that.”

“Stop apologizing for my brother, Wil.” The pink-haired man said flatly. Wilbur gave him an apologetic smile.

“Can’t help it, Techno. I’m used to it.” Sapnap looked between the two guys. He remembered very vividly how that Wilbur guy braided Techno’s hair. If that wasn’t one of the weirdest things he had ever seen he didn’t know what was. Tommy stopped, looking very disgruntled and fuming, but at least he shut up. “Can we join you guys?”

“We don’t mind.” Karl said jovially, waving them in. Wilbur smiled and herded the boys in. The table was getting quite crowded, but Sapnap supposed this was a lot livelier. Minus the fact that two rivaling guys and a brat was in the same group. Tommy was still glaring at Dream, and Tubbo was trying to get him to calm down.

“So! What were you guys talking about?” He asked. Karl shrugged.

“Nothing. Just why we got here.” He explained. “You can answer that question if you want. Why did you join?” Tubbo thought for a moment before replying.

“I joined because I wanted to serve the country I suppose. Plus, Tommy was joining. And I knew a friend here. I haven’t seen him anywhere yet, but I’ll find him.” Karl’s eyes widened, and he slammed his palm onto the table.

“You’re looking for someone too? Same!” He turned to Quackity and gave him the middle finger. “See, it’s not just me!” He turned back to Tubbo and grinned. “Okay, so… what’s he or she like?”

“It’s a guy. He was my friend, and I think he joined a year ago.” Tubbo explained. “Super nice, very tall for his age. He’s awesome. I think at this point he probably already got promoted to real canon aimer. That’s why I haven’t met him yet.”

“Yeah, that would make sense.”

“Wilbur, can we go? I don’t want to sit here with that blond freak.”

“Tommy, don’t be rude.” Wilbur said placatingly. His voice was soft and gentle, and his eyes were tired but quite caring. Techno sat beside him, and he was staring at Dream, who stared back. It seemed that they’d come to a consensus with one another. They were silently evaluating each other, probably studying their supposedly perfect rival. “So, um… what’s your name?” Sapnap looked up and saw Wilbur smiling at him.

“I’m Sapnap, and the guy in front of me is George, my best friend.”

“I take it you are Dream’s friend.”

“Yeah, and the only real one, probably.” Quackity cut in, smirking. Sapnap flicked him off.

“Yeah, you all are fake as fuck.” He replied, ignoring Darryl’s “Language!”. Wilbur nodded and leaned forward on the table.

“I’m so sorry the first meeting is so chaotic. I’m Wilbur, and this is Tommy.” He pointed to the blond boy. “And this is Tubbo.” The brown-haired boy. “Tommy is Techno’s brother.”

“You seemed to care a whole lot for Techno’s brother then.” Sapnap remarked. Wilbur smiled bashfully.

“Techno’s my longtime friend, and we kind of cared for his brother together.”

“But don’t you… also have a brother?” Sapnap could vaguely recall Karl telling him about Fundy, who he called Wilbur’s brother. The man was still smiling, but it suddenly seemed a lot tighter and unnatural.

“Ah… yes. You see, he didn’t really need nor want my care.” He explained. Techno glanced at him silently. Wilbur shook his head slightly. “I couldn’t really force myself on him, could I?” The atmosphere was suddenly a lot more strained, and Sapnap nodded hesitantly. Well, it made sense.

“I suppose so.” He decided that Wilbur didn’t need to know that Fundy was just here a few minutes ago. “So, Techno’s your good friend.”  
  


“Yes.” Wilbur glanced at the man, who was watching Dream again. Something flashed across his face, but Sapnap didn’t know what. “I’ve known him since he was probably ten or something. We’ve always been taking care of those two kids.”

“I’m not a kid!” Tommy screamed. Wilbur gave him a look, which made him shut up. Sapnap muffled his laughter behind his hand, snorting silently. Tubbo immediately roped Tommy into the conversation he was having with Karl and Quackity, and that seemed to make him happy. Wilbur chuckled and leaned his head on his hand.

“I’m glad they got new friends.” He glanced at Sapnap. “At least, I suppose we are friends. Or are we not?”

“Friends are always welcome.” Sapnap replied. The rest of the night was spent trying to get to know said friends, and it felt good. Yes, Tommy would not stop arguing with Dream, and everyone seemed to love bickering, but it felt fine.

He couldn’t wait to get to know them even better through combat training tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New things. Characters bonding and overlapping between each other is something I really enjoy doing. Let me know if I'm doing it right. Characters themselves are probably canon-divergence at this point, so just, enjoy them like a blank slates waiting to be crafted. Comments make my day: it doesn't have to be long or anything. Just a hi, maybe a favorite moment, maybe a theory... i'm interested in what you guys think. Can you guess who Karl's friend is?

**Author's Note:**

> Whew, okay. Not sure where we're heading, but I'm beginning to form a path. Now, I have to admit the Dream SMP is not my strongest suit. Personalities might be just different, because I specialize (or am better at... anyway) in the crafting of the amigops' personalities. Even so, I wish to bring to you a captivating story. Those of you who found me through the tags, welcome! If you want the context for this, you may have to read through the past chapter of my previous work in the series. Not much, just a tiny bit. Those of you who have come from the series' first work Dragons at Dawn, I'm really happy you like me that much to read this as well.
> 
> This is a series, so a lot of the context will be dealt with in the first work. Please do take note that even though it is possible to read it separately, the two will converge at one point, and it might throw you for a loop if you've read only this one. It is a work best enjoyed with all the context.
> 
> I'm really sorry I made this story like this, but well, my mind has been made for too long. The frame is set.
> 
> Now let us dive right in, into Fort Synthia.


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